New program spotlight: Critical Exposure is promoting school connectedness through youth organizing

Photo courtesy of Critical Exposure.

“They want to be decision-makers and change-makers, and we let them know that we think that they can and should be,” said Talia Brock, Program Director at Critical Exposure, a non-profit offering afterschool and summer programs for Washington, D.C. youth. A new program spotlight accompanying Afterschool Alliance's recently released brief, “Addressing Chronic Absenteeism: How Afterschool Programs are Building School-Day Engagement and Improving Attendance,” explores how Critical Exposure amplifies youth agency, voice, and choice to mobilize young people in leading transformative change in their schools and communities.

Driven by the belief that young people are the experts of their realities and should define their own narratives, Critical Exposure works alongside roughly 90 Black and Brown high school students and young adults to advocate for schools and communities that are safe and supportive places for D.C.’s youth. Leveraging the power of photography and storytelling, youth work together to creatively document issues impacting their schools and communities, such as unfair school disciplinary policies and gentrification, to bring about awareness and action from relevant stakeholders.

Youth not only take the lead in identifying and documenting issues they care about, but they are also encouraged to be part of the solution. Through Critical Exposure’s programs, young people develop an abundance of skills relevant to political organizing, such as testimony writing and consensus-building techniques, all of which support their advocacy efforts. The application of these skills has benefited several successful youth-led campaigns championed by Critical Exposure’s young people, including the implementation of both a financial literacy curriculum and a restorative justice program in D.C. Public Schools. By addressing issues directly impacting their school communities, program staff find that youth develop a deeper investment and connection to their schools as they find their voices amplified through Critical Exposure’s programs.

Beyond youth organizing, the organization actively incorporates youth voice into its operations by intentionally seeking young people’s perspectives, including in the hiring of adult staff. Elevating youth voice at every level is central to the organization’s mission, and both behind-the-scenes involvement and hands-on leadership play a key role in engaging young people in their programs and schools.

Read Critical Exposure’s full program spotlight to learn more about how the organization incorporates youth voice beyond programming, past youth-led campaigns, and how the program’s powerful youth advocacy has shaped D.C. Public Schools.